As I’ve said before, visuals are a critical component of marketing strategy. They drive views, accelerate campaign calls to action, and stick with users better than a block of text.

Real time streaming through channels like Facebook Live or Snapchat have helped some brands find significant success personalizing their business among users-putting a face to the company, if you will.

Why Video Storytelling Works

As opposed to an article or another block of text, videos have the power to create gripping, lasting memories in the minds of consumers. Here’s a perfect example of what I’m talking about:

Now, I am probably not the target audience for this product as I don’t suffer from adult incontinence. However, I saw this commercial weeks ago, and still remember it in detail.

Why do I remember vivid details from a commercial for a product I don’t need?

Because it’s emotionally compelling and has a narrative that reinforces the product, making it stick. That’s why 51.9 percent of marketers across the world say videos have the best ROI, and why shoppers who view a video in the pre-purchase stages are 1.81 times more likely to make a purchase than non-viewers.

How to Get Started

To get started on your visual marketing story, start by messing around with video construction programs. Animoto and Shakr are good places to start, and you can always extend your learning of video production through an online course (Lynda has plenty).

If you don’t have someone in-house who is familiar with video, you can (and probably should) consider outsourcing the task. Outsourcing video production through a freelancer or other marketing resource will ensure a certain level of quality. And, in order to have an effective video, quality should be ranked high on your priority list.

HigherVisibility is part of the Small Business Trends Publisher Channel, offering a full range of professional interactive marketing services. The mission of HigherVisibility is to provide clients “Valuable Solutions with Visible Results.” HigherVisibility works with companies of all sizes, offering advice on topics ranging from keyword research to algorithm updates.

One Reaction

Storytelling has always worked, I agree. But what works for a small business owner?

I think sense of place is a factor. How is a business owner connecting with their own community and what are they doing…in an AUTHENTIC way to impact lives either through their service or in their backyard? That story can be told through video and it can be done in effective way that doesn’t cost of tens of thousands of dollars. Most small business owners will look at the video featuring Dri-Fit and think to themselves this won’t work for me but it’s too expensive. That’s one of the challenges we as small business owners of production companies face.

I think whenever we can we need to find a way to use authenticity and make it work in our favor and to the advantage of the small business. I think automatically of the video that was produced for Gerald Daugherty who was running for county commissioner in Travis County, Texas this year. Pure genius. No actors, no script, it took them 5 hours to shoot, he won the campaign and it has like 4 million views on YouTube. Storytelling at its finest. My guess is it was probably done in the $5,000-$10,000 range. That’s still a lot of money for a small business owner or local politician.

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